OBSESSION

It’s a simple premise.  A young man makes a wish on a parlor trick toy to have his crush love him more than any person in the world.  And of course that wish comes true.  But that wish, pushing your will over others comes with hidden meaning and consequences that are beautifully sewn in to this instant Horror classic.

You kind of lose sight of the trees in the forest sometimes when in comes to modern movies and thankfully there are some still out there like obsession, that just remind you that good writing, directing and acting with an original twist is all we really want to experience as viewers.

The film begins with Bar (Michael Johnston), sitting at a diner trying to confess his unyielding love for his co-worker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette).  It’s awkward, sappy and pathetic and even though it’s actually only a dress-rehersal as he’s practicing this speech on his waitress, that ability to not commit and fear of rejection plays a critical role in this story going forward.

That’s because the practice fails despite Bar having many opportunities to simply be a man and tell Nikki how he feels, damn the results.  And although beautiful, Nikki appears to be a solid person, down to earth, capable of handling the delicacy of a boy’s feelings towards her.

But the potential truth of rejection is too much for Bar and so he buys a wish-willow toy instead at some new-age shop, snaps it in half and wishes that Nikki would love him more than any person in the world. 

It works.  Slowly at first as director Curry Barker builds up the tension with Nikki initially fighting against herself and Bar unsure what to make of the sudden character change and eventually that builds into a full on fatal attraction, stage-5 clinger, co-dependent hellscape for both Nikki and Bar.

Most of the things Nikki does in an attempt to quench her desires for Bar would send a rational man running.  The fear she puts into Bar, going from tears to sudden rage stops the pulse of the whole theatre.  Navarrette’s perforce really stands out here as she is truly terrifying, manipulative and controlling why still being able to elicit sympathy for being in a place outside her control. 

And the same can be said about Johnston, playing the shy, insecure loser, bumbling for the right words, too scared to truly say what’s on his mind or even stand up to the all of 5 foot tall Nikki.

But again, the beauty of this film is controlling this story with simple storytelling, mute but effective lighting, limited characters, solid directing and great acting.

For horror seekers, the tension, jump-scares and eerie-to-your-bones moments are all there in this psychological thriller.  An absolute recommendation for all horror fans to see. 9 out of 10.